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Gloves?

barooo

New member
Can anyone recommend some good gloves? A mix of on-street riding, mostly above 40 degrees. I have a K75, and my other gear is an aerostich roadcrafter and aerostich combat lite boots. I'd like for some armor/protection in the knuckles, and good slide protection. Probably not looking for full gauntlet style though.
 
There are so many good gloves out there its hard to know where to start BUT assuming you are talking about summer gloves where venting matters, then the BMW Airflow 2 glove is about as good as it gets.
For a bit cooler, there is the HELD Steve (has a gauntlet) and various gloves from RevIt and others with and without waterproof liners. Some like a basic deerskin gloved (from Parks or other) because deerskin tolerates getting wet better than cowhide.

Bottom line is gloves are an extraordinarily personal choice. I own and regularly use 5 different pair but the BMW Airflow, my older RevIt H2O Ultra, and HELD Steve 2 get the most use. A pair of RevIt race gloves and my electric gloves for really cold weather get the least use. I also own a HELD very light perforated leather summer glove but rarely use them because they offer no protection to the wrist area, being not much more than a golf or shooting glove.

FWIW, no one makes my idea of the perfect glove. One or both of two features I consider important (padding on the lower heel of the palm to help absorb body weight on the handlebars and impact protection to the major bone of the wrist) are missing on every glove I've ever seen and that is just about everything made.
 
Racer gave you a good summary. I have a couple of pairs of deer skin that I like a great deal; one set with moderate insulation and one without. Also have a pair of Held Steves. They certainly offer a higher level of protection and I can fit a liner under them if need be, but they are less supple.
 
I've worn a pair of Lee Parks gloves for almost 5 years before I wore a hole in them a couple of weeks ago. They were supple and comfortable -- for colder days I could wear them in temps down to the 40s with glove liners. Lee Parks does sell an insulated version for colder weather too.
 
I like my Road Gear gloves, forget the model, but they have carbon fiber knuckles, are minimally perforated for warmer weather, but not so much that it compromises the integrity of the glove. Find a bike show in your area and try on as many pair as you can from a number of vendors. That is how I found the Road Gear gloves, last year's International in Johnson City.
 
I have a pair of Icon Pursuit gloves. Really nice and comfy. Perforated leather, but slip on some silk liners first and they're fine in colder weather.. Really can't say enough about these.. love them.
 
Getting a good fit is important. You need to try the gloves on. Gloves should be snug when new, most will stretch a bit after a few wearings, but fingers that are too long or short will always be that way. Interior seams that you barely feel in the store will drive you nuts on long rides.

Held Steves are offer good protection and are high quality, I like mine. But deer skin offer the best comfort/protection tradeoff in my book. I am down to my last part of custom made Thurlows, and have started using Lee Parks.
 
Interior seams that you barely feel in the store will drive you nuts on long rides.

I've purchased a couple of glove pairs "on sale" from Cycle Gear. A few hours of riding and I found out why they were on sale. The interior seams were wearing into my skin on long rides and making my fingers sore -- very distracting for LD riding for sure. Those pairs are back ups for days when my Lee Parks are wet.
 
I've worn a pair of Lee Parks gloves for almost 5 years before I wore a hole in them a couple of weeks ago. They were supple and comfortable -- for colder days I could wear them in temps down to the 40s with glove liners. Lee Parks does sell an insulated version for colder weather too.

Lee Parks gloves have also been my favourite for the last several years. I use the longer ones with gauntlet.
 
If we are going to recommend gloves with protection, comfort, ventilation, and the unfortunate gauntlets, you can't beat Helimot F-104's. They use a padded Kevlar cloth back with kangaroo palms, arguably the safest construction possible other than the Motoport Kevlar racers. Made in USA with great customer service. You can get the finger lengths custom sized too. Motoport Kevlar racers use a gauntlet, but have the best protection in the business with great ventilation due to their stretch Kevlar cloth construction.
 
If we are going to recommend gloves with protection, comfort, ventilation, and the unfortunate gauntlets, you can't beat Helimot F-104's. They use a padded Kevlar cloth back with kangaroo palms, arguably the safest construction possible other than the Motoport Kevlar racers. Made in USA with great customer service. You can get the finger lengths custom sized too. Motoport Kevlar racers use a gauntlet, but have the best protection in the business with great ventilation due to their stretch Kevlar cloth construction.

The glove you are describing may be the the Helimot F-108. http://www.helimot.com/shopexd.asp?id=63
I have one on order. As mentioned, customer service is outstanding, totally personalized and they are made in San Jose, California. If needed, they will also custom size a particular finger for $7 each.
 
Just picked up a pair of Rev'It Giri gloves. Very comfortable now that they have started to break in. Best thing with gloves is to try before you buy. I also have a pair of Aerostich elkskin roper gloves which I love for working around the house in but can't stand to wear while riding. Just my $.02.
 
Gloves

A little off the subject of this tread, but one thing that I have learned now that
it is getting hot again. I bought a pair of gloves over the winter that are extra
long and fit over the sleeves of my riding jacket. This is fine in colder weather,
but I will be looking for a shorter pair that will fit under the sleeves so air can
go up the arms.
 
I like the Aerostich Elkskin Ropers ($47.00) although they have no additional protection beyond their being made from leather. Aerostich also has a pair of Competition Elkskin Ropers ($57.00) with padding over the knuckles and a more secure wrist adjustment which seem to be close to what is wanted.
 
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